-
The VOIDRUNNER'S CODEX is coming! Explore new worlds, fight oppressive empires, fend off fearsome aliens, and wield deadly psionics with this comprehensive boxed set expansion for 5E and A5E!
Ask me about Shadowrun 4th!
- Thread starter kigmatzomat
- Start date
Chaldfont
First Post
I picked this up at the con. Life has been conspiring against my attempts at reading it all the way through. I haven't actually played shadowrun since 1st edition and I like what they've done--especially with the fixed TN.
Here's my question for others who have it: Is there any section on balancing NPCs against players? I've looked and I can't find one. I'm worried that in my SR inexperience I'll send wildly unbalanced foes against my PCs.
Here's my question for others who have it: Is there any section on balancing NPCs against players? I've looked and I can't find one. I'm worried that in my SR inexperience I'll send wildly unbalanced foes against my PCs.
kigmatzomat
Hero
Towards the back there is a section on contacts & NPCs but I haven't read it in detail yet.
I'm aware that NPCs use a group Edge rating instead of the GM managing a bunch of individuals. I think the team gets twice the Edge Rating as their pool but I'm not 100% on that. (In other words, Edge 5 lets you use Edge 10 times, getting 5 bonus dice each time)
I imagine that the NPC vs. PC balance will be, or should be, based on build points + karma. A team of five 400pt characters should be able to deal with, say, 800pts of opponents. It'll never be exact; there's too much variability. It might be good enough to keep DMs from slaughtering players, though.
I'm aware that NPCs use a group Edge rating instead of the GM managing a bunch of individuals. I think the team gets twice the Edge Rating as their pool but I'm not 100% on that. (In other words, Edge 5 lets you use Edge 10 times, getting 5 bonus dice each time)
I imagine that the NPC vs. PC balance will be, or should be, based on build points + karma. A team of five 400pt characters should be able to deal with, say, 800pts of opponents. It'll never be exact; there's too much variability. It might be good enough to keep DMs from slaughtering players, though.
cignus_pfaccari
First Post
Chaldfont said:
Oh, heck, yeah. TN manipulation was the name of the game in 1-3, but now, I don't have to worry about trying to roll a 30 on a d6 to get a single success.
Brad
Geoff Watson
First Post
Are shotguns still blatantly overpowered?
Geoff.
Geoff.
kigmatzomat
Hero
Well, I didn't think they were blatantly overpowered before. A shotgun is a crapload of kinetic energy that very little is rated to resist. Most body armors fail simply because shot finds an unarmored spot to hit. The spreads were excessive, though.
The new version is much better. Chokes only have 3 settings: narrow, moderate, and wide. Narrow hits a single target with standard flechette damage, the normal armor penetration (AP) +2 but with a -2 to dodge. Moderate choke can hit 2 targets who are within 1m of each other, the targets have -4 to dodge but the DV is at -2 and the AP is at +4 (I think). Wide can hit up to 3 targets, -6 to dodge, -4 DV, AP +6. One roll applies to all targets equally.
The reduced DV and increased AP means that most damage will be stun, barring a really good shot. Even then the target will have lots of dice for resistance (Body + Armor + AP). The CMD becomes very balanced. Combine a Narrow burst with a moderate choke and your target is at -4 to dodge, the DV is unmodified, but they get +4 AP dice to resist. Basically -4+4=0, though since you nerfed dodge you increase the odds of hitting when the opponent otherwise would have gotten out of the way.
The new version is much better. Chokes only have 3 settings: narrow, moderate, and wide. Narrow hits a single target with standard flechette damage, the normal armor penetration (AP) +2 but with a -2 to dodge. Moderate choke can hit 2 targets who are within 1m of each other, the targets have -4 to dodge but the DV is at -2 and the AP is at +4 (I think). Wide can hit up to 3 targets, -6 to dodge, -4 DV, AP +6. One roll applies to all targets equally.
The reduced DV and increased AP means that most damage will be stun, barring a really good shot. Even then the target will have lots of dice for resistance (Body + Armor + AP). The CMD becomes very balanced. Combine a Narrow burst with a moderate choke and your target is at -4 to dodge, the DV is unmodified, but they get +4 AP dice to resist. Basically -4+4=0, though since you nerfed dodge you increase the odds of hitting when the opponent otherwise would have gotten out of the way.
Similar Threads
